A display device (806) is driven by a video processing unit (804) in a number of sub-fields, each for outputting a respective illumination level by the display device. In each sub-field, a pixel of the displayed image may emit an amount of light corresponding to the particular sub-field, depending on whether it is switched on or not. Based on motion estimation, the desired intensity level of a particular pixel at the time point corresponding with the current sub-field is calculated. Subsequently, it is determined how much light has been generated by the pixels along the motion vector of the particular pixel and accumulated in the eye of a human observer. Then a target intensity level is calculated on the basis of the desired level and the already accumulated level. Based on this target level it is decided whether the particular pixel is to be lit in the current sub-field.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A video processing unit for processing a series of images to be displayed on a display device, wherein a particular image is displayed in a plurality of periods called sub-fields, each of the sub-fields having a respective weight corresponding with a respective intensity level generated in this sub-field, the video processing unit comprising: first intensity calculating means for calculating, for a particular pixel on the basis of motion estimation from the series of images, a desired intensity level at a point in time corresponding with a current sub-field; means for obtaining, from the motion estimation, a current motion vector for the particular pixel; second intensity calculating means for calculating an accumulated intensity level integrated by a human observer along the motion vector over a number of earlier processed sub-fields, if any; third intensity calculating means for calculating a target intensity level to be generated in the current and one or more subsequent sub-fields, if any, on the basis of the accumulated intensity level and the desired intensity level; and decision means for deciding whether the particular pixel is to be lit in the current sub-field on the basis of the target intensity level and the weight of the current sub-field.
2. The video processing unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said video processing unit processes the sub-fields per image and in the order of decreasing weight of the sub-fields.
3. The video processing unit as claimed in claim 1 , in which the third intensity calculating means calculates the target intensity level as being substantially equal to the desired intensity level minus the accumulated intensity level, and in which the decision means decides that the particular pixel is to be lit in the current sub-field if the target intensity level is larger than or equal to the weight of the current sub-field.
4. The video processing unit as claimed in claim 1 , in which the decision means decides that the particular pixel is to be lit in the current sub-field on the basis of a minimization of the summed absolute difference between the desired intensity level and the accumulated intensity level for a group of pixels.
5. The video processing unit as claimed in claim 1 , in which the decision means decides that the particular pixel is to be lit in the current sub-field on the basis of a minimization of the summed squared absolute difference between the desired intensity level and the accumulated intensity level for a group of pixels.
6. A display apparatus for displaying a series of images, comprising: receiving means for receiving a signal representing the series of images; a video processing unit as claimed in claim 1 ; and a display device for displaying the series of images.
7. A method of processing a series of images to be displayed on a display device, wherein a particular image is displayed in a plurality of periods called sub-fields, each of the sub-fields having a respective weight corresponding with a respective intensity level generated in this sub-field, the method comprising the steps: calculating, for a particular pixel on the basis of motion estimation from the series of images, a desired intensity level at a point in time corresponding with a current sub-field; obtaining, from the motion estimation, a current motion vector for the particular pixel; calculating an accumulated intensity level integrated by a human observer along the motion vector over a number of earlier processed sub-fields, if any; calculating a target intensity level to be generated in the current and one or more subsequent sub-fields, if any, on the basis of the accumulated intensity level and the desired intensity level; and deciding whether the particular pixel is to be lit in the current sub-field on the basis of the target intensity level and the weight of the current sub-field.
8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the sub-fields are processed per image and in the order of decreasing weight of the sub-fields.
9. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the target intensity level is calculated as being substantially equal to the desired intensity level minus the accumulated intensity level, and wherein the particular pixel in the current sub-field is lit if the target intensity level is larger than or equal to the weight of the current sub-field.
10. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the articular pixel in the current sub-field is lit on the basis of a minimization of the summed absolute difference between the desired intensity level and the accumulated intensity level for a group of pixels.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
November 22, 2000
December 31, 2002
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